Brian McNamee told federal authorities last summer that Roger Clemens developed an abscess on his buttocks about the same time that McNamee said he was giving him steroid injections during the 1998 season, a lawyer with knowledge of details of the case told The New York Times.

From the perspective of McNamee and his lawyers, confirmation that the abscess existed would add credibility to his assertion that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone on 16 occasions from 1998 to 2001 and that he specifically injected him with the steroid Winstrol in four instances in 1998. In that year, Clemens was pitching for Toronto and McNamee was the team's strength trainer and conditioning coach.

Clemens has said that he received injections from McNamee at various times but has maintained that they contained either vitamin B12 or the painkiller lidocaine. Although any needle injection can lead to an abscess, an antidoping expert said that steroid injections in particular are known for creating abscesses.

“It is far less likely that any injection of vitamin B12 or lidocaine, which is usually not injected deep into the body, would have created an abscess,” said Dr. Gary I. Wadler, an internist who is a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency. “Steroid users tend to repetitively inject the drug deep into the muscle and this has been associated with the development of sterile abscess.”

But did Clemens have an abscess in 1998? Three members of the Blue Jays' organization that season, including one of the team's two trainers, said in recent interviews that they did not recall any abscess associated with Clemens that year.

Rocket mum on steroids

In a session before about 1,000 Texas high school baseball coaches yesterday in Waco, Texas, Clemens stuck to baseball and cracked jokes, making no mention of the allegations in the Mitchell Report that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

“He talked like nothing ever happened. It was a nonissue in there,” Waco Midway High assistant coach Coby Meinzer said.

Rolen for Glaus?

The St. Louis Cardinals have reached agreement on a trade with Toronto that will send third baseman Scott Rolen to the Blue Jays for third baseman Troy Glaus, two major league sources told ESPN.com.

The deal will be completed once the two players undergo physical exams tomorrow, according to ESPN.com.

Since the trade includes a financial component, it's also subject to the approval of Commissioner Bud Selig. It's uncertain which club is receiving money in the deal, or how much cash is changing hands.

Rolen, 32, is a career .283 hitter and seven-time Gold Glove winner with Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Glaus, 31, has 277 career homers in 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks and Blue Jays.